WHITE, Reginald Howard ("Reggie")

(b. 19 December 1961 in Chattanooga, Tennessee), professional football player and Baptist minister who holds several records and who is often considered the game's best defensive end.

White, the son of Charles White and Thelma Dodds Collier, was raised by his mother and his grandparents. His grandmother and a local minister, Bernard Ferguson, influenced his religious views. At thirteen, when White decided to "give his life to the Lord," he also decided that he wanted to become a professional football player. At Howard High School in Chattanooga he played tight end and nose tackle, lettering three times.

After high school, White attended the University of Tennessee, where he was a standout player for the Volunteers, setting school records for sacks in a season and in a career, and earning the nickname "Minister of Defense." In 1991 when the university celebrated its football program's 100th anniversary, White was named to the centennial team. In 1983 he was the South Eastern Conference player of the year and an All-American. He graduated with a B.A. in human services.

Instead of joining the National Football League (NFL), White signed with the Memphis Showboats of the upstart United States Football League (USFL), perhaps because he would have the chance to play in his home state. From 1984 to 1985 White played 34 games for the Showboats, recording 23.5 sacks and 193 tackles and forcing 7 fumbles, making him one of the league's best players during its short life.

In 1984 the NFL held a special draft of USFL players, and the Philadelphia Eagles selected White. He joined the team three games into the season and made an immediate impact, recording two sacks, as well as causing a fumble and tipping a pass to a teammate that was returned for a touchdown. He also began his career in public service, helping charitable organizations for the unemployed and for underprivileged youth. White's becoming an ordained minister made him the butt of numerous jokes, and he was ridiculed for his beliefs throughout the rest of his career. How, some wondered, could he be both a peacemaker and one of the most fearsome players in football? "I hit hard for the glory of God," White said.

White married Sara Copeland on 5 January 1985 and credits her with providing discipline to his finances, saying that she was "worth more to me than all the rubies in the world." They have two children.

White's play for the Eagles was outstanding; he recorded more sacks than games played. In 1991 the Eagle defense was ranked first in the NFL. During this period, White became an activist in a union, the NFL Players' Association. In 1992 he was one of the union's negotiators for talks that eventually led to free agency, and earned the union's Byron "Whizzer" White Humanitarian Award in recognition of the long hours he put in helping charitable organizations in Philadelphia and in his home state of Tennessee. Eventually, White and other players were conceded the right to become free agents, and, not unexpectedly, the Eagles made little effort to re-sign him.

At first White did not consider relocating to the town of Green Bay, Wisconsin, preferring to live in San Francisco or Chicago where he could minister to inner-city youth. But the Green Bay Packers pestered him until he agreed to meet with them. The Packers offered him $17 million a year and an important role in a team whose defense ranked twenty-third in the NFL the previous season. In 1993 White signed with the Packers, and was immediately criticized for being a greedy Christian.

White's signing with the Packers was one of the turning points in the history of U.S. football. White was the most sought-after player at the time, the one sure bet to join the Hall of Fame. Even so, his salary was ridiculously high. Teams began to change their outlooks on hiring and training players; no longer was investing in a good prospect who might need a year or two of seasoning the best way to spend money. Instead, a player who could fit in with a team's offensive or defensive scheme right away, despite questionable long-term prospects, was preferred over those who needed nurturing. This trend also influenced the college draft.

White's effect on the Packers was astonishing; the team ran essentially the same defense as the previous year but was ranked second in the NFL for 1993. White's teammates admired him, and his coaches were delighted. His leadership became legendary, and he was credited with encouraging and advising many players struggling to save their foundering careers. On defense, his ability to read offensive plays and set up appropriate defenses was extraordinary, and he became a valuable field general.

In 1995 White donated $1 million to Knoxville's Inner City Community Investment Corporation, which offers microloans to high-risk entrepreneurs. In 1996 he received the Jackie Robinson Humanitarian Award as well as the Tolerance Award from the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Also that year, the church in which he preached, Knoxville's Inner City Church, was burned down, possibly by anti-Christian aggressors. In Green Bay, White assisted small businesses through the Urban Hope Partnership organization.

White's crowning moment on the field may have been the 1997 Super Bowl. He kept his teammates focused during the chaotic week before the game, providing leadership when it was most needed, and he played a fine game. But the next season was difficult for him. He had played with injuries in the past, but a back injury hampered him to the point that after the season, he decided to retire. Remembering that he had promised the Packers at least one more year of play, he retracted his retirement and played the 1998 season, after which he again retired. After sitting out the 1999 season, he joined the Carolina Panthers, retiring again after a lackluster performance.

White wrote Reggie White in the Trenches: The Autobiography (1996), with James D. Denney; this book is the best resource for information about White's life and views. God's Playbook: The Bible's Game Plan for Life (1998), by White and Steve Hubbard shows how White incorporated his athletic life into his religious beliefs, and Fighting the Good Fight: America's Minister of Defense Stands Firm on What It Takes to Win God's Way (1999), by White and Andrew Peyton Thomas offers the fullest explanation of White's perspective on Christianity and American life.

Kirk H. Beetzm